Unexpected Encounters
by runtus maximus
Summary: [I see now that Yuki would never love me.] Motoko goes shopping and encounters some unexpected people. Oneshot.


Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Fruits Basket characters or _The Phantom of the Opera _by Gaston Leroux (read it!), but I do own the setting and plot of this fanfiction.  
By the way- spoiler for _The Phantom of the Opera._

"I'm going out!"

"Where?"

"Grocery store."

"Don't be gone too long."

The door slams behind me as I walk outside. The day is quite sunny- can it get any hotter?-but I need the food for a cooking class I am taking back at the college. When I marry Yuki-kun, I need to be a good chef for the both of us.

The thought of my prince almost always puts me in a good mood, so I begin to whistle a tune and bounce a bit as I stroll along. My eyes wander freely and I notice many couples walking together, laughing, chatting, holding hands. Will Yuki and I be like that someday? You never know.

The store is ahead and I enter, the bells tinkling as I do so.

Let's see_… _I consult the list I have in my pocket. Rice, pork, and scallions.

I amble towards the area of the store containing meat and find my products, then pick up the rice from another section of the store. The cashier smiles at me when he hands my the bags; everyone is so happy today- it's contagious!

My watch reads 11:17a.m., so I figure I have enough time to go window shopping.

The first store I reach is filled with cloth. I am about to pass it by, but suddenly I see two people walking around the corner.

My breath catches when I see a flash of grey hair and purple eyes. I am about to rush over and greet him, but suddenly-

"Yuki-kun?"

That awful, shrill voice. I stiffen and dash into an alley by the shop, hidden, but able to hear their conversation.

"Yes, Honda-san?"

"What would you like to eat for lunch?"

"I don't know, Honda-san. Whatever you cook is good enough for me."

His beautiful, dazzling smile- wasted on that little _witch_! I fume inwardly.

The conversation drones on and on until I finally can't take it any longer and storm past the two of them, who had stopped in front of my alleyway to continue their discussion, on into the crowd.

"Minagawa-san?"

Even Yuki's precious voice can't stop me now. I scamper into the nearest store and lean against the wall.

That girl! She hasn't changed at all since I last saw her at my graduation last year. Her hair has gotten slightly longer, her face more mature, but I can still recognize my rival.

I hate her.

Then why don't I walk over to the astonished couple and steal away Yuki? She's still there, after _finally_ ceasing to bore him out of his mind with her incessant chatter. I could walk over, start an interesting conversation with my love, get him to care for me the way I do him.

I dash out of the shop, leaving many confused clerks in my wake, and maneuver my way through the throng of people, watching Yuki and the witch, but suddenly stop dead in my tracks.

No. I can't do it.

_Why not? _A little voice argues in the back of my mind.

But I can tell from the way he watches at her, paying attention to every dull word she utters, and how his eyes soften when they see her

He loves her.

"NO!"

People gape at me, but I don't care.

Why _don't_ I just do the voice's bidding and rob the witch of my Yuki?

Because it would be wrong- even from the all-time low I've hit, I can tell that it would be wrong. Besides, Yuki would never like me; I see that now. He's head over heels for her.

Ever heard of that famous French novel, _The Phantom of the Opera_? He lets her go in the end. Because he's in love. When you're in love with someone, you want what's best for them even if it hurts you in the process.

So I let them go, Yuki laughing at some remark the witch makes.

I let her have him.

Turning around sharply, I leave that cursed street behind me and head home.

**A/N:** Hope you liked it, but don't look for any other chapters. Personally I liked it where it ended, and besides, my muse seems to come about once a year. Blergh. Please review, and thank you to the ones who took the time to review before I revised. Cookies for all of you!


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